Climbing rose plant named ‘Wekausboy’

ABSTRACT

A new variety of Climbing rose suitable for garden decoration, having flowers of multicolor yellow, pink and red coloration.

Classification: The present invention relates to a new Rosa hybridaplant.

Variety denomination: The new plant has the varietal denomination‘WEKausboy’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Climbing Rose.It has as its seed parent the variety known as Autumn Sunset (notpatented) and as its pollen parent the variety known as Playboy (notpatented).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Among the features which distinguish the new variety from otherpresently available and commercial rose cultivars known to the inventorare the following combinations of characteristics: its multicoloryellow, pink and red flower coloration, its numerous stipitate glands onthe peduncle and surface of the bud that bear a strong moss-rosefragrance of sweet juniper, its numerous prickles of many sizes on themajor stems, branches and new shoots and its very glossy bright greenfoliage. The plant has a spreading climbing growth habit, suitable foroutdoor garden decoration.

Asexual reproduction of the new variety by budding as performed in KernCounty and Pomona, Calif. shows that the foregoing and otherdistinguishing characteristics come true to form and are established andtransmitted through succeeding asexual propagations. ‘WEKausboy’ may beasexually propagated by cuttings, budding and grafting. The budding andgrafting successfully occurred on the plant/rootstock Rosa hybrida cv.‘Dr. Huey’ (not patented).

COMPARISON WITH PARENTS

The new rose may be distinguished from its seed parent, Autumn Sunset bythe following combination of characteristics: whereas ‘WEKausboy’ bearssemi-double flowers (about 12 to 15 petals) of multicolor yellow, pinkand red coloration, Autumn Sunset bears double flowers of warm apricotgold coloration with significantly heavier petalage (about 20 to 25petals).

The new variety may be distinguished from its pollen parent, Playboy bythe following combination of characteristics: whereas ‘WEKausboy’ bearsflowers of multicolor yellow, pink and red coloration, Playboy bearsflowers of orange and scarlet with a yellow eye. The new variety isclassified as a climbing rose with a spreading climbing growth habitwith canes about 300 cm. to about 350 cm. in length, whereas the pollenparent is classified as a floribunda rose with a significantly shorterbushy and rounded growing habit (about 75 to about 120 cm. in height).

COMPARISON WITH THE CLOSEST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CULTIVAR

The new variety may be distinguished from its closest commerciallyavailable cultivar, Joseph's Coat (U.S. Plant Pat. #2,488) by thefollowing combination of characteristics: whereas ‘WEKausboy’ bearssemi-double flowers (about 12 to 15 petals) of multicolor yellow, pinkand red coloration, Joseph's Coat bears double flowers of yellow and redcoloration with significantly heavier petalage (about 23 to 28 petals).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATION

The accompanying photograph illustrates the new variety and shows theflowering thereof from bud to full bloom depicted in color as nearlycorrect as it is possible to make in a color illustration of thecharacter. Throughout this specification, color references and/or valuesare based upon the Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society(1966) except where common terms of color definition are employed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The following description is of 2 year-old rose plants of the newvariety grown outdoors in Wasco, Calif. in the month of October.Phenotypic expression may vary with environmental, cultural and climaticconditions, as well as differences in conditions of light and soil.

FLOWER

The new variety usually bears its flowers in clusters of three to sevenor more per stem. Flowers are borne in somewhat irregular to roundedclusters on strong medium length stems (about 26 to about 75 cm.).Outdoors, the plant blooms abundantly and nearly continuously during thegrowing season. The flowers have a slight tea to apple-like fragrance.

BUD

The peduncle is about 4.5 to about 6.0 cm. in length, of slender caliper(about 0.2 to about 0.3 cm. in diameter), and usually erect to sometimessomewhat bending. It is usually very rough, with numerous stipitateglands and some very small prickles. The stipitate glands bear a strongmoss-rose fragrance of sweet juniper. Peduncle color is between 138A and144A sometimes lightly suffused, especially on the side exposed to thesun, with near 183C.

Before the calyx breaks, the bud is about 1.4 to about 1.6 cm. indiameter at the widest point, about 1.8 to about 2.3 cm. in length, andpointed to ovoid in shape. The surface of the bud usually bears numerousstipitate glands and some hairs, usually with slender entire foliaceousparts extending beyond the tip of the bud about ½ or more of its length.The stipitate glands bear a strong moss-rose fragrance of sweet juniper.Bud color is between 138A and 144A sometimes moderately suffused,especially on the side exposed to the sun, with between 183C and 183B.

The sepals are about 2.8 to about 3.4 cm. in length and about 0.7 toabout 1.0 cm. in width at the widest point. The outer surface color ofthe sepal is between 138A and 144A sometimes moderately suffused,especially on the side exposed to the sun, with between 183C and 183B.The inner surface color of the sepal is between 144D and 191C broadlybordered by between 138B and 191B. The inner surface of the sepal iscovered with fine wooly tomentum; sepal margins are lined with manystipitate glands and few hairs.

The receptacle of the flower is of medium length (about 0.4 to about 0.7cm.) and average to somewhat heavy in caliper (about 0.6 to about 0.7cm. in diameter). The receptacle is somewhat pointed in form. Itssurface is usually smooth with somewhat thick fleshy walls. Thereceptacle color is between 138A and 144A.

As the petals open (after the calyx breaks), the bud is about 1.6 toabout 1.9 cm. in diameter at the widest point, about 2.4 to about 3.0cm. in length, and very pointed to ovoid in form. The color of the undersurfaces of the newly opened petals is between 9B and 11A, often heavilyblushed, especially on the areas exposed to the sun, with as dark asbetween 45A and 46A. There is no visible change in coloration at thepoint where the petal attaches. The color of the upper surfaces of thenewly opened petals is between 9A and 12A, often lightly washed withnear 26C toward the petal edge. There is no visible change in colorationat the point where the petal attaches.

BLOOM

When fully open, the bloom ranges from about 8 to about 10 cm. indiameter. Petalage is semi-double with about 12 to 15 petals and about 1to 2 petaloids irregularly arranged. When partially open, the bloom formis somewhat cupped to high centered, and the petals are moderatelyloosely spiraled to cupped with petal edges slightly rolled outward.When fully open, the bloom form is more flat to cupped, and the petalsare more loosely cupped to slightly undulated with petal edgesmoderately rolled outward.

PETALS

The substance of the petals is 714 somewhat heavy and of mediumthickness, with upper surfaces somewhat shiny to satiny and undersurfaces more matte to slightly shiny. The petals are about 3.7 to about4.5 cm. in length and about 4.0 to about 4.9 cm. in width at the widestpoint. Petal margins are entire.

The outer petals are very broadly round to somewhat obovate in shapewith apices moderately rounded.

The inner petals are somewhat nearly round to broadly obovate in shapewith apices moderately rounded.

Petaloids are about 2.2 to about 3.7 cm. in length and about 0.7 toabout 1.1 cm. in width at the widest point. Petaloids are irregular tolanceolate in shape with irregular to rounded apices.

NEWLY OPENED FLOWER

The under surface color of the outer, intermediate and inner petals isbetween 9C and 11B. Any areas exposed to the sun blush with as dark asbetween 45A and 46A. There is no visible change in coloration at thepoint where the petal attaches.

The upper surface color of the outer petals is between 9C and 11B.Approximately the outer third to half of the petals, approaching thepetal edge, is moderately washed with between 37C and 38D, sometimesirregularly flecked and striped with as dark as between 37A and 39B andas light as 9C and 11 B. Areas exposed to the sun moderately blush to asdark as between 46D and 47B. At the point where the petal attaches,there is a somewhat small zone of near 9A.

The upper surface color of the intermediate and inner petals issimilarly colored to the upper surface color of the outer petals with noblush color.

The general tonality of the newly opened flower is between 9C and 11Bwashed with between 37C and 38D and sometimes irregularly flecked andstriped with as dark as between 37A and 39B and as light as 9C and 11B.The outermost petals are usually blushed to as dark as between 46D and47B.

THREE-DAY-OLD FLOWER

The under surface color of the outer, intermediate and inner petals isbetween 11C and 13D. There is no visible change in coloration at thepoint where the petal attaches.

The upper surface color of the outer, intermediate and inner petals isbetween 9D and 11C. Areas exposed to the sun heavily blush with as darkas between 53B and 47A, sometimes irregularly flecked and striped withas light as between 13D and 11D to as dark as between 53B and 47A. Atthe point where the petal attaches, there is a very small zone of near11B.

The general tonality of the three-day-old flower is between 9D and 11C,usually heavily blushed with as dark as between 53B and 47A andsometimes irregularly flecked and striped with as light as between 13Dand 11D to as dark as between 53B and 47A.

On the spent bloom, the petals usually drop off cleanly.

In October in Wasco, Calif., blooms on the bush growing outdoorsgenerally last about four to five days. Cut roses from plants grownoutdoors and kept at normal indoor living temperatures generally lastabout three to four days.

MALE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

Stamens are average in number (average about 75) and are arrangedregularly about the pistils. The filaments are moderately uneven inlength (about 0.3 to about 0.9 cm.) most with anthers. Filaments arenear 14A in color. The anthers are of small to medium size for the classand all open approximately at the same time. Anther color when immatureis near 14D. Anther color at maturity is near 163B on the external partand near 165A on the internal part. Pollen is moderate to abundant andnear 12C in color.

FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

Pistils vary in number (average about 45). The styles are somewhatuneven, average to long in length (about 0.3 to about 0.8 cm.), somewhatthin in caliper, and moderately loosely bunched. Stigma color is near3D. Style color is near 3D at the base, blushing to 46A toward thestigma. Ovaries are usually all enclosed in the calyx.

Hips are somewhat short to average in length (about 1.6 to about 2.2cm.), very globular in form, and near 30C in color when ripe. The hipsurface is usually smooth with moderately thick fleshy walls. The sepalsare usually fugacious.

The seeds are irregularly rounded, smooth in texture, approximately 7 toabout 12 per hip, about 0.3 to about 0.5 cm. in diameter at the widestpoint and near 165C in color.

FOLIAGE

The compound leaves are usually comprised of three to five leaflets andare borne abundantly. The five-leaflet leaves are about 10.3 to about14.6 cm. in length and about 8.6 to about 11.0 cm. in width at thewidest point, moderately heavy in texture, and very glossy to somewhatrugose in finish on the upper side and very matte in finish on the underside. The terminal leaflets are about 4.8 to about 6.5 cm. in length andabout 3.2 to about 3.9 cm. in width at the widest point, shapedmoderately oval to somewhat ovate with very acute apices and somewhatround to acute bases. Their margins are usually simply serrate.

The upper surface color of the mature leaf is between 147A and 137A. Theunder surface color of the mature leaf is between 147B and 137C. Theupper surface color of the young leaf is between 147A and 137A,moderately suffused, especially toward the leaf edge, with between 187Aand 183A. The under surface color of the young leaf is between 147B and137C, heavily suffused with between 187A and 183A.

The rachis is average to heavy in caliper and very rough. The upper sideis shallowly grooved with many stipitate glands on the edges of thegrooves. The under side of the rachis is very rough with some stipitateglands and many small to medium size prickles. The rachis color is near137C on the under side, sometimes lightly blushed with near 183C on theupper side.

The stipules are about 1.1 to about 2.0 cm. in length and moderatelynarrow to medium in width (about 0.6 to about 0.9 cm.) with mediumlength straight points that usually turn out at an angle of more than 45degrees. The stipule color is near 137C.

The petiole is average to heavy in caliper and very rough. The upperside is shallowly grooved with many stipitate glands on the edges of thegrooves. The under side of the petiole is very rough with some stipitateglands and many small to medium size prickles. The petiole is about 0.1to about 0.3 cm. in length and about 0.1 cm in diameter at the widestpoint. The petiole color is near 137C on the under side, sometimeslightly blushed with near 183C on the upper side.

The plant displays an average degree of resistance to powdery mildew andrust as compared to other commercial varieties grown under comparableconditions in Wasco, Calif. The plant's winter hardiness anddrought/heat tolerance are yet to be determined.

GROWTH

The plant has a spreading climbing growth habit with canes about 300 cm.to about 350 cm. in length with full branching. It displays veryvigorous growth and the canes are of medium to heavy caliper for theclass (about 1.4 to about 2.5 cm. in width at the widest point).

The color of the major stems is near 148B. They bear numerous pricklesof many sizes which range from about 0.3 to about 1.2 cm. in length. Thelarger prickles are almost straight and angled moderately downward witha medium length moderately narrow base; large prickle coloration isbetween 160B and 163D. The smaller prickles are almost straight with ashort narrow base and of similar coloration.

The color of the branches is between 138A and 146A. They bear numerousprickles of many sizes which are of similar size and shape to theprickles on the major stems; prickle color is near 166C.

The color of the new shoots is between 138A and 143A sometimes lightlysuffused with near 183B. They bear numerous prickles of many sizes whichare of similar size and shape to the prickles on the major stems;prickle color is between 160B and 163D.

1. A new and distinct Climbing rose plant of the variety substantiallyas described and illustrated herein.